Remi Cavagna fractures vertebra in training camp crash
Mauri Vansevenan also breaks thumb in crash and is sent home to Belgium. Cavagna will undergo surgery on Monday.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Remi Cavagna has suffered a fractured vertebra following a training crash Wednesday.
Belgian rider Mauri Vansevenant was also involved in the incident, which occurred during a ride at Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl’s [formerly Deceuninck-Quick-Step] training camp in Calpe, and broke his thumb.
The team has not said how the accident happened but added that Vansevenant had been flown home to Belgium for “further conservative treatment”.
Also read: Meet Mauri Vansevenant: Belgium’s next big thing
Cavagna remains in Spain at this time after fracturing his L1 vertebra, which is in the lower back.
The Frenchman is currently being treated by Dr. Ignacio Muñoz at the Hospital IMSKE Valencia and is due to undergo surgery on the injury Monday.
“Everybody at Deceuninck-Quick-Step would like to thank Dr. Ignacio Muñoz and his team at Hospital IMSKE Valencia, as well as wishing both riders the best for their recovery,” a team statement said.
According to the team, Cavagna did not suffer any neurological damage as a result of the crash.
Cavagna is the reigning French national champion and a former national time trial champion. He took several victories this season, including the time trials at the Tour de Pologne and the Tour de Romandie.
Vansevenant is a rising star for the team, and he won the GP Industria & Artigianato, in March. He also lit up races such as Flèche Wallonne, and he came close to winning a stage of the Vuelta a España.